Continuous-cigarette machine



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CONTINUOUS GIGARETTE MAGHINE- 7 No 503,507. Patented Augf15, 1893.

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N0. 503,507,. Patented Aug. 15,1893.

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Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

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No. 503,507.. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

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CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MAGHINE.

Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6. J. H. VE RS. CONTINUOUS CIGAR E MACHINE.

N0..503,507. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

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CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MACHINE.

No. 503,507. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY VENNERS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTINUOUS-CIGARETTE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,507, dated August 15, 1893.

Application filed February 13, 1893. Serial No.4=62,060- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY VnNNnRs, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Continuous-Cigarette Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevation with certain parts broken away. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the paper folding and pasting mechanism. Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sections on the lines VV and VI-VI respectively of Fig. i. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan View of the folder. Fig. Sis a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 are cross sections of Fig. 7 on the lines similarly numbered. Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the carding apparatus and feeding belt. Fig. 15 is a cross-section on the line XVXV of Fig. 1. Fig. 16 is an end view of the machine. Figs. 17 and 18 are end and side views respectively of the cutting mechanism; the carrying arm being broken away in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a cross-section on the line XIXXIX of Fig. 18; and Fig. 20 (Sheet 3) is an end view of one of the sprocket links.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each figure.

My invention relates to that class of cigarette machines, wherein the cigarette is made in a continuous length and severed into suit able lengths at the end of the operation, and is designed to produce a machine which shall be less complicated than former machines, have a greater capacity, and turn out a better quality of cigarettes.

To that end it consists in a flexible endless feeder with a longitudinal groove, together with means for compressing the tobacco within the groove and for stripping the filler from the groove and pressing it upon a wrapper, as well as in the construction and arrangement of the parts as hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 2 indicates the feeder-belt upon which the tobacco is placed, this belt moving over suitable rollers 3, 3, the inner of which is bolted to the lower carding roller 4.. The belt 2 passes through a slot in the side of the hopper 5, within which the carding mechanism is located, and through a longitudinal slot in the bottom of this hopper the carded tobacco drops directly into the groove of an endless chain 6. This chain is composed of links 7, each of which, as shown in Figs. 3 and 20, is provided upon its face with adeep groove and outwardly curved guiding lips 8, and is pivoted upon transverse shafts 9, having projecting ends provided with friction rollers which take into suitable grooves in the rim of sprocket-wheel 10. From the wheel 10 the chain passes beneath the hopper5, and thence over a stationary grooved support 11, the linkrollers resting thereon, while compression rollers 12 pack the tobacco Within the groove, they being so adjusted as to successively compress the tobacco and being driven by the friction of the chain. In the bottom of the chain-groove lies an endless stripper-belt 13, upon which the filler-rod is formed, and which travels with the chain. After the tobacco is compressed and the filler-rod thereby formed, the chain passes over the large wheel 14, having a grooved periphery to receive the links, and beneath this wheel the belt 13 is drawn away from the chain by a stationary stripper 14' rigidly secured within the paper-folder 15. This stripper, 14., is preferably of metal with a smooth longitudinally-curved lower face over which the stripper-belt moves with very little friction, and it is evident that as the belt leaves the chain, the filler-rod, which has been loosened somewhat by the passage of the links over the wheel 14:, is removed from the chain'groove and forcibly pressed by the belt 13 upon the paper ribbon 16, within the folder, with the former top portion of the filler on the under side.

Thepaper-folder 15, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 to 13, consists of a trough having inwardlyfolded edges, whose sides gradually converge from the form of Fig. 9,successively to that of Figs. 10, 12, and 13, the edges of the paper ribbon being thereby lapped over each other at the top. The stripper-belt emerges from the folder just in front of its overlapping portions, and by this belt the filler-rod is pressed which the cigarette moves.

upon the paper 16, and both are moved forward through the folder, and the paper thereby wrapped about the filler. The paper ribbon 16 is carried in a roll 17, and passes thence over suitable rollers 18 and 19, and moves smoothly over the curved end 20 of the folder, which at this end is supported upon the adjustablearm 21. After passingthe lapped part of the folder, the inside upper portion of the wrapperis moistened with paste by thehorizontal pasting-wheel 22, having a sharply beveled edge which passes beneath the lapped portion and is provided with a thin even layer of paste by a cord-belt 23, which passes overa small pulley 24 upon the projecting wheel shaft, and thence over the beveled edge of the wheel and downwardly into a paste-receptacle 25 and over suitable disks 26 therein. The cigaretterod then moves upon a Wide belt 27, having a continuous groove therein which is supported upon a rigid bed 28 having a framework over the belt in which are carried a series of compression rollers 29. These rollers, which may be plain or grooved, as shown, are yieldingly pressed upon the fold of the paper by elastic bands 30, taking over their protruding shafts and over suitable pins 31 at the sides of the bed. The amount of compression exerted by these rollers may be thus accurately adjusted. At the end of the sealing-frame, the continuous cigarette is stripped from the belt and received upon a plate 32, which has a beveled end extending over the belt, and is provided with longitudinal lips 33 forming a central channel or groove, (Figs. 18 and 19) within 7 i i 7 At i s u e nd this plate is bent up at right angles and secured to the frame-work, and in the vertical portion, at the end of the groove, is a hole 34, through which the cigarette emerges. At this point, the continuous cigarette is severed into lengths by a cutter wheel 35 carried upon a shaft passing through pivoted supporting rods 36, having a depending rigid arm 37, which rests upon and is actuated by a cam 38. The cutter-wheel is thus oscillated past the hole 34, and at each stroke severs a cigarette,

"whose length may be adjusted by the shape of the cam, as desired.

The main shaft 39 of the machine is provided with a bevelwheel 40, engaging a similar Wheel 41 upon a countershaft carrying a pulley 42, which is belted to the shaft of the lower carding-roller, which carries a pinion intermeshing with a similar wheel upon the upper carding-roller shaft. The upper carding-roller is bolted to the shredding roller, as shown in Fig. 16. The main shaft also carries a toothed wheel43, which intermeshes' sprocket-wheel 10 is actuated through a chain 50, and the belt 27 is moved by the main shaft. The pasting wheel is operated by a bevel-gear and belt connections (shown in Fig. 1) with a shaft 51, having a geanwheel connection with the shaft of the Wheel 4.

The operation of the machine is evident. The various parts being moved continuously, the tobacco which is fed upon the belt is carried into the hopper and there being carded and shredded, falls into the groove of the chain and upon the stripper-belt. It is then firmly packed therein by the compressing rollers, and being loosened by the large wheel, is stripped from the groove and being forced uponthe paper ribbon, the filler-rod and ribbon are moved through the folder, the lapped edges of the wrapper pasted and sealed by the yielding rollers. The continuous cigarette is then severed into lengths which fall into any suitable receptacle.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The filler-rod is completely turned over when placed upon the wrapper so that straggling fibers on the top, which in practice commonly get between the lapped edges of the wrapper, are brought upon the under side and the paper is lapped over the bottom side, which is always the better molded portion. The filler is loosened up by the large wheel, and the stripper-belt serves to press it upon the paper and move the paper through the folder. The wide grooved belt upon which it then passes drives the sealing-rollers by the friction of its wide face, and the cigarettes are produced in one continuous length, while there are no complicated .partsto themachine.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departure from my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a cigarette-machine, a flexible endless feeder having a longitudinal groove, means a for compressing tobacco within the groove, and means for stripping the filler therefrom and pressing it upon a wrapper, substantially as described.

2. In a cigarette machine, a flexible endless pressing the tobacco upon a wrapper substantially as described.

4. In a'ci'garette machine, an endless feeder having a groove therein, a stripper-belt within the groove, a stripper outside the groove over which said belt passes; and means for pressing the filler upon a wrapper substantially as described. 5. In a cigarette machine, a flexible endless feeder having a groove therein, a stripper-belt within the groove, a stripper outside the groove over which said belt passes, and compressing rollers beneath which the feeder passes; substantially as described.

6. In a cigarette machine, a flexible endless feeder having a groove therein, a stripper-belt within the groove, a stripper outside the groove over which said belt passes, compressing rollers beneath which the feeder passes, and a rigid support for the feeder beneath said rollers; substantially as described.

'7. In a cigarette machine, the combination with an endless feeder having a longitudinal groove therein and a stripper belt within the groove, of a folder having converging sides, said belt passing within the folder in a portion of its path; substantially as described.

8. In acigarette machine, an endless feeder having a longitudinal groove therein, a stripper-belt within the groove, a paper-folder, and

a belt-stripper within the folder; substantially as described.

9. In a cigarette machine, an endless feed er having a longitudinal groove therein, a stripper-belt within the groove, a paper folder, and a belt-stripper within the folder and in front of its overlapping portions; substantially as described.

10. In a cigarette machine, a belt having a longitudinal groove, and grooved sealing rollers arranged to press upon the belt at the sides of the groove and be driven thereby; substantially as described.

11. In a cigarette machine, a belt having a longitudinal groove, and yielding grooved sealing rollers having a groove and side portions arranged to contact with the belt and be driven thereby; substantially as described.

12. In a cigarette machine, a belt having a longitudinal groove, sealing rollers frictionally driven by said belt, and a support for said belt beneath the rollers; substantially as described.

13. In a cigarette machine, an endless chain having a longitudinal groove, wheels for carrying the chain, a stripper belt within the groove, a paper folder adjacent to one of the wheels for the chain, and a belt-stripper in the folder; substantially as described.

14:. In a cigarette machine, a paper folder, means for drawing a strip of paper therethrough, a stripper-belt arranged to press a filler upon the paper, and means for cutting the continuous cigarette into lengths substantially as described.

15. In a cigarette machine, a'paper folder, astripper within the same, and a stripper-belt within the folder arranged to press the filler upon the paper and move the paper forward through the folder; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES HENRY VENNERS.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. OTEY, WALTER M. CARROLL. 

